**I came across this article many years ago and wanted to share it here with you all. I saved it to a note in my Facebook but could not find the original source. Hopefully, this is helpful for you as it was for me.
What is Aspartame?
Aspartame is a sugar substitute with a host of side effects. Drinking diet soda that contains aspartame actually increases cravings and prevents weight loss.
Many people turn to diet soda as part of their weight loss plan. Dieters often rely on artificial sweeteners for a sugar substitute. The idea behind it is to avoid taking in the 10 teaspoons of sugar in each can of regular soda and cut back on calories to lose weight. While cutting back on calories does lead to weight loss, drinking diet soda that contains aspartame actually leads to weight gain.
Why Diet Soda Increases Hunger and Leads to Weight Gain
Aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in diet soda, makes the body crave more calories. It can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome and prevent weight loss. While it's true that diet soda doesn't have any calories, it signals your brain to expect the calories. When you eat or drink things without calories your body continues to look for the calories. Your brain receives the message that you aren't full yet. It increases your hunger and leads you to continue to crave foods and eat more.
Soda Drinkers Don't Get Enough Nutrients
One problem that frequently occurs when people drink too much soda is that they miss out on other drinks that provide important nutrients. Water is important for flushing your system and staying hydrated. Drinking skim or reduced fat milk, juice or green tea provide the body with nutrients it needs, whereas sodas don't have any nutritional value. President Obama believes that soda is a contributing factor in the obesity crisis that America faces. He also thinks that a sin tax on soda may be in order to help people reduce their intake and lose weight.
Side Effects of Aspartame
Aside from weight gain, there are a host of other side effects caused by consuming aspartame. Most side effects aren't reported because they aren't associated with the consumption of aspartame. Drinking diet soda, however, can lead to: dizziness, memory loss, headaches, mood swings, irritability, anxiety, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal pain, insomnia, skin irritations, menstrual irregularities, fibromyalgia, numbness and cramps.
This laundry list of side effects associated with drinking diet soda has been dubbed “aspartame disease” by Dr. H.J. Roberts. He is the author of Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic and Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Is It Safe? (Philadelphia, 1989, Charles Press). Dr. Roberts believes that aspartame has severe side effects that can often mask themselves as other diseases, such as Lupus or MS. He has also documented how people that stop using aspartame show health improvements, suggesting that the side effects are linked to the use of aspartame. He claims, diet soda will not help you lose weight. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are not diet-friendly. Consumers experience increased hunger and weight gain by drinking diet soda. Kick the diet soda habit to lose weight and regain your health.
===>I use to drink 4-6 diet cokes per day and had multiple flavors of diet sodas available for my drinking pleasure. I don't touch the stuff now. Once we know, we know. Right? Then we can do something different...something good for our bodies, rather than harmful.
